Designed by Bernardo Rodrigues Arquitecto, House on the Flight of Birds is located in the north side of S. Michael Island in the Azores. Since the microclimate of this farmland offers frequent wind and showers, the first design strategy was to block these winds with a wall, and offer diverse patios and covered courtyards to protect against rain. These patios and courtyards also open all living spaces to the natural green by glass walls, which receded from the exterior.
Photography: Iwan Baan
On the upper floor, there are private rooms that are more enclosed and protected. The typology follows an almost classical Palladian and Scamozzi central plan design, with double height on a living room, and then two lateral wings enclosing one the kitchen.

The house also uses the high chimneys from popular residential architecture, a covered interior patio, and the other wing has the circulations for the first floor and to the roof terrace. These two wings end with light entrances from the south. The roof offers a wonderful view of all of the island’s north shore. Photography: Iwan Baan
Project Info:

Architects: Bernardo Rodrigues Arquitecto

Location: Ribeira Grande, Portugal

Structural Calculation: HDP, engineering Ltd – Eng. Paulo Fidalgo

Preliminary Study: James Grainger, Pedro Mosca, Natacha Viveiros

Execution: Nelson Ferreira, Ye Xuanyong, Vasco Melo, Laura von Dellemann, Alexandra Balona

Mechanics: Paulo de Faria Queiros Ltd, Maria Odete de Almeida

Electricity...